Popular Book Club Picks

Searching for study guides on books selected by some of the nation's top book clubs, curated by Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, the PBS NewsHour, the New York Times, and the American Library Association? Look no further. This collection covers critically-acclaimed classics like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez to contemporary, buzzworthy novels like Girl, Woman, Other. We hope this compilation of study guides provides your own book club with lively discussion topics and keen insights.

The Music of Bees

by Eileen Garvin

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Community, Friendship, Environment, Perseverance, Mental Health, Self Discovery, Animals, Plants, Beauty, Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope

Tags Animals, Science & Nature, Disability, Coming of Age, Agriculture, Education, Health, Grief & Death, Depression & Suicide, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Namesake

by Jhumpa Lahiri

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Immigration, Marriage

Tags Coming of Age, Immigration & Refugeeism, Diversity, Race & Racism, Relationships, Indian Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

The Namesake is a novel by the distinguished American writer Jhumpa Lahiri, who is known for her traditional narrative style often dealing with sensitive issues of immigrant life and culture clash. First published in 2003, this is her first novel, originally published in The New Yorker in shorter form, and it follows an immigrant Bengali family in America and the way its members adapt to a culture and society very different to their own. The... Read The Namesake Summary

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History, French Literature, Romance

The Nightingale is a best-selling historical fiction novel written by Kristin Hannah and published in 2015. Hannah is known for her other popular historical fiction works, including Winter Garden (2010) and The Four Winds (2021). The Nightingale, which takes places in France during World War II, was inspired by the life and memoirs of Andrée de Jongh, a Belgian woman who survived the war and organized the Comet Line, an underground effort that allowed countless... Read The Nightingale Summary

The Night Watchman

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Indigenous Identity

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, US History, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Politics & Government, American Literature, World History

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The Nix

by Nathan Hill

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction

Nathan Hill’s debut novel, The Nix (2016), is a multigenerational family saga that is as much the story of an American immigrant family rent by betrayal and abandonment as it is a panoramic cultural biography that examines more than 50 years of America’s social, political, and pop culture from Vietnam to the rise of Donald Trump. Little was known about Hill at the time of the novel’s publication; his short stories had only appeared in... Read The Nix Summary

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil, Memory

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality

In The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013), a dark fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman, a young boy accidentally brings an evil entity from another reality into his world, and he needs the help of three mysterious women to try to get rid of the threat. A number-one New York Times bestseller, the novel won several honors, including the British Book Awards Book of the Year and the Locus Award for best fantasy... Read The Ocean at the End of the Lane Summary

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

by Marianne Cronin

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Hope, Joy, Death, Self Discovery, Art, Truth & Lies, Guilt

Tags LGBTQ+, Romance, Arts & Culture, Grief & Death, Health, Love & Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion & Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Only Woman in the Room

by Marie Benedict

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Historical Fiction, Women`s Studies, World War II, Gender & Feminism, World History

Marie Benedict’s work of historical fiction, The Only Woman in the Room, tells the life story of Hedy Lamarr, a famed actress of the 1930s and 1940s. The 2019 novel rewrites Lamarr’s legacy by focusing on her path towards inventing a frequency-hopping radio technology that anticipates wi-fi. Benedict uses the political machinations of WWII and Hedy’s experiences to explore performativity, guilt, and sexism.Content Warning: The source material and this guide contain instances and discussions of... Read The Only Woman in the Room Summary

The Orphan Master's Son

by Adam Johnson

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction

The Orphan Master’s Son is the story of Jun Do, an “everyman” caught up in high-stakes politics in a fictionalized version of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. As the son of the orphan master, Jun Do grows up among orphans and bears a martyr’s name, experiences which follow him throughout his life. During a period of national famine, Jun Do and the orphans are sent to join the army. As the head of an... Read The Orphan Master's Son Summary

The Other Boleyn Girl

by Philippa Gregory

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Future, Daughters & Sons, Family, Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Romance, Life-Inspired Fiction

The Other Boleyn Girl (2001) is a historical women’s fiction novel by British author and journalist Philippa Gregory. Gregory first reached bestseller status with her debut historical novel Wideacre (1987). The Other Boleyn Girl won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association and was adapted into a film. The novel is narrated by Mary, the Boleyn daughter whose more famous sister, Anne, has overshadowed her in the historical record. Mary... Read The Other Boleyn Girl Summary

The Other Side of the Bridge

by Mary Lawson

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Fate, Family

Tags World History, Historical Fiction, Relationships

Mary Lawson’s 2016 novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, tells the dual stories of Arthur and Ian, two men separated by a generation but in love with the same woman: Arthur’s wife, Laura.Odd-numbered chapters are told from the point-of-view of Ian Christopherson, the son of a doctor who takes a job on Arthur Dunn’s farm, chiefly to be near Laura Dunn. Even-numbered chapters follow Arthur Dunn. The older of the two Dunn brothers, Arthur... Read The Other Side of the Bridge Summary